May 2019 Wing lift BNAPS News July 2020 BNAPS News Vol 10 Iss 4 – July 2020

BNAPS Restoration Workshop is Re-opened - Plan for the Future of Islander G-AVCN in 2021 BNAPS Trustees have devised a working regime, in consultation with the restoration team, and taking account of the emergency restrictions in place at the time, that allowed restoration work to be resumed from 16 July 2020.

BNAPS Restoration Team meeting at the restoration workshop, 9 July 2020

The aim is to complete all essential restoration work items by the end of September 2020 and then to dismantle the aircraft and prepare it for transport to temporary storage. The main work items include completion of fuselage lining and detail decals, fabrication and installation of internal fuselage and door trim panels, installation of the propellers and spinners, installation of an alternator for the starboard engine and painting the engine cowlings. This work will be progressed during the coming months, although installation of the propellers and spinners and the alternator require sourcing of essential missing parts. However, where work is not completed by the end of September it is feasible to delay some of the work and finish it off when the aircraft is in storage or include it as part of the process of preparation for re-assembly of the aircraft when suitable display space is accessible.

At this stage BNAPS Trustees are in discussion with an established museum located on the Isle of Wight and full details will be revealed in due course when agreements are in place. During the past few months it has become apparent that a move into storage was best undertaken sooner rather than later, partly because of the financial burden if the occupation of the Brickfields workshop was extended into 2021 and the fact that, if necessary, any remaining work items can be undertaken with the fuselage and wing as separate parts at a later stage and in another location.

In this issue of BNAPS News:

B-N Gives Go Ahead for Islander MK.III

London -Victoria Air Race

Plus more news of Islanders and Trislanders around the World

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BNAPS Chairman’s Update – July 2020

2010 2016 2020

Dear BNAPS Supporter, The “lock down” period has given the opportunity to take stock of what the restoration project has achieved so far and look again at the way ahead that would enable our restored B-N Islander G-AVCN to move to a stage where it can be on public display.

As outlined on page 1 of this issue of BNAPS News the immediate plan of campaign is get the restoration work restarted and reach a stage by the end of September when the aircraft can be dismantled and moved into storage. In this respect a pair of adjustable wing stands at present under construction are critical in enabling the wing and fuselage to be separated and for transportation of the wing.

At present it seems unlikely that BNAPS will be able to hold a final workshop open day at the end of September, as in previous years, in support of the Isle of Wight High Sheriff’s “Isle of Wight Day” initiative. For 2020 the event would also serve to mark the end of the restoration phase of the project and also commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Islander Mk.III, or Trislander, G-ATWU, that took place from Bembridge Airport on 11 September 1970.

If the present restrictions on public gatherings are still in place in September then, unfortunately, it will not be possible for the workshop open day to go ahead. The situation regarding restrictions is in a state of continuous change and is being monitored accordingly, both in respect of the possibility of a workshop open day event and the health and safety of the restoration team.

BNAPS Trustees continue to seek various ways and sources of funding to ensure the project can continue to a successful conclusion as planned.

For more information regarding the above please contact BNAPS by email [email protected] or Telephone 01329 315561.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Wealthy, Britten-Norman Aircraft Preservation Society Chairman

th Trislander 50 Feature Article Planned for Airliner World September 2020 Issue.

Airliner World’s Assistant Editor, Martin Needham, has recently been in touch with BNAPS and asked for assistance to the preparation of a five page feature article on the th B-N Trislander and the 50 anniversary of its first flight that is planned for inclusion in the September 2020 issue of the magazine, due out on 13 August.

Airliner World now includes a heritage section. In the May 2020 issue the restoration of Islander G-AVCN was the subject of a half page news item.

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G-AVCN Restoration Progress – July 2020

As of 16 July, 2020, the restoration work was re-started in the workshop. After about 4 months away from the project the restoration team spent some time catching up with the work that had been in progress back in March. The main activities now under way are summarised below:

1 Bob Wilson set about cleaning off a layer of dust that had settled on the aircraft and Bernie Coleman nobly volunteered to pump up the tyres.

The tyres had not lost much pressure over the 4 month

lay-off. Bernie Coleman is seen here in action using the foot pump to re-inflate the tyres.

2 Bob Wilson and Guy Palmer reviewed the fuselage line painting situation, in consultation with spray painting specialist Bill Mason, regarding application of the black fuselage lining and restoration of an area of the port side nose section, where an earlier application of black lining had not been satisfactory and had to be removed. Also discussed were arrangements for spray painting the engine cowlings off site at Bill Mason’s spray painting facility.

3 Paul Thomasson continued with fabrication of plastic door surround trim mouldings.

4 The new wing-stand frames arrived at the workshop, thanks to the efforts of Paul Thomasson. He and Bob Ward installed the wheels and the wings stands now await the adjustable threaded fittings which are expected in the near future.

The adjustable wing-stand frames with wheels installed.

5 Mark Porter continued with final fitting and adjustments of the starboard engine cowlings.

6 Bryan Groves has updated the missing parts list and prepared exhaust system support brackets ready for installation at a later stage.

7 Patrick Gallagher resumed work on the wing/fuselage fairings temporary fit. Paul Brook picked up the work on the electrics in the wing to fuselage area.

8 Bernie Coleman continued with riveting in a roof skin section on the fuselage of Islander VQ-SAC.

9 A start was made on clearing out a quantity of scrap metal and surplus items that had been accumulated during the project.

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G-AVCN Restoration Project Status – July 2020

The work items that are necessary to complete the restoration project are summarised below:

Islander G-AVCN Restoration Work Items 1 Wing and Engines: 1.1 Complete the height adjustable wing support trestles including profile boards. 1.2 Complete engine dressing. 1.3 Fit propellers complete fitting of the engine cowlings and fairings ready for painting. 1.4 Paint engine cowlings and fairings. 1.5 Fabricate fairings that fit between the in board side of the top engine cowlings and wing leading edge droop.

2 Fuselage: 2.1 Ongoing internal trimming work. 2.2 Continue application of the cheat lines. 2.3 Complete the wing to fuselage fairings temporary fit

Islander VQ-SAC Fuselage Section Work Items: 1 Prepare exterior surfaces and etch prime 2 Install windows in fuselage and doors 3 Fabricate door hinges and install doors

4 Fabricate and install door trim panels and sidewall trim

5 Fabricate and install instrument panel blank and centre console 6 Install coaming 7 Install desktop flight simulator equipment 8 Install electrical earthing connection for fuselage structure 9 Commission flight simulator

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B-N Gives Go Ahead for Islander BN-2A Mk.III

Introduction Ever since the prototype Islander had flown B-N had looked at several design schemes design for a larger transport aircraft. These schemes ranged for a scaled up Islander, referred to as the Mainlander and seen as a “Dakota replacement” (not to be confused with the Mainlander that emerged in the Fairey Britten-Norman era in 1972). With this in mind the BN-2A Mk.II Islander Super, with up to 14 seats, was built and flown in 1969 and the 21 seat BN-4 design scheme appeared in 1969. The early success of Aurigny Air Services Islander operations inspired a requirement for a larger capacity aircraft having the key attributes of the Islander. From this melting pot of ideas and needs John Britten summarised the thinking at the time in a lecture he gave to the RAeS Reading Branch in March 1971:

“Growth is essential to any company's health and in aircraft manufacture cannot be sustained without successful innovation. Once our production headaches were cured we began to spare a little time for planning future growth. The most significant step forward that we have taken from the original Islander concept followed the realisation that the world's transport aircraft safety requirements seemed to be designed to favour three-engined aircraft and the appreciation that a third engine would not only be relatively easy to install on an Islander but would give many practical advantages. The design that Desmond Norman and I sketched in a Chicago motel late in 1969 had obvious potential structural and aerodynamic problems. We felt that these could only be investigated quickly and economically by building a low cost prototype. The result was the Islander Mark III which first flew in September 1970. To our delight it turned out to be almost completely trouble free and we are now pressing forward with production plans. The Mark III will provide the step-up aircraft that existing Islander operators need for less than half the cost of a new 16-seat turbine-powered aircraft. About 80% of its airframe components and equipment are common to the standard Islander. It also increases the number of aircraft over which we can amortise the original Islander launching costs.”

The 11 September 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the first flight from Bembridge Airport of the BN-2A Islander Mk.III, G-ATWU, later to be named as the Trislander. In seeking to produce a higher capacity aircraft John Britten and Desmond Norman managed to create “a triumph of ingenuity” with their unique three engined layout yet still having a high degree of commonality with the original BN-2 Islander design.

Origins of Aurigny Air Services Aurigny Air Services was formed in 1967 to restore air links between Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney that had been operated by British United (Channel Islands) Airlines. Withdrawal of this service left Alderney somewhat isolated without an air link. To rectify this situation the island's governing body set about finding a replacement operator and Fred Morton, a member of the committee responsible for provision of air services, was charged with finding a suitable aircraft that could operate cost-effective services, and an airline to run them. His investigations soon took him to the Britten Norman Aircraft Company, at the time a relatively a new aircraft company that was busy putting the twin engined Islander into production. The Islander seemed ideal for the inter-island route, and the company put Fred Morton in touch with Sir Derrick Bailey, a businessman and keen aviator living on Alderney. Originally a Herefordshire farmer, Sir Derrick Bailey had previously set up Glos Air, which operated Islanders between Staverton and Ireland. Enthusiastic from the start, Sir Derrick saw there was an urgent need for a new air service to the island. Sir Derrick was acquainted with John Britten and Desmond Norman and on seeing the potential for the right airline operating the right aircraft linking Alderney with the other Channel Islands, he took an active interest in the design and development of the BN-2 Islander. He is reputed to have told John and Desmond "You build the Islander and I'll buy it". 5

Aurigny Air Services Starts Operations Sir Derrick Bailey’s Glos Air formed the basis of Aurigny Air Services and the new airline commenced operations when Islander G-AVCN made the first passenger carrying flight from Alderney to Guernsey on 1 March 1967.

Aurigny Air Services Islander, G-AVCN, c/n 3 as it entered service in march 1968 still with Glos Air markings on fin. (BNAPS archive collection) The early days of Aurigny operations were understandably hesitant as nobody knew much about running an airline. The Islander was a new, relatively untried aircraft and every passenger had to be weighed before final payloads could be calculated. There was no printed timetable or proper reservations system - flights were simply put on when passengers wanted to go. The plan was to operate until all passengers had been carried each day, and from the outset flexibility was very much the key. Employees were expected to tackle any task, including arranging reservations, baggage-handling, weighing passengers, and basic aircraft checks.

View of Alderney Airport terminal buildings that replaced the shed in the early days of Aurigny Air Services’ operations. (BNAPS archive collection)

In Alderney a shed originally acted as an office, although this was replaced later by a portable cabin. These temporary buildings would be Aurigny's uncomfortable, cramped headquarters for more than 21 years - ideal in the summer, but unpleasant during the cold, wet and windy winters. By 1970 eight Islanders were in operation with Aurigny Air Services over a route structure that included services from Guernsey and Jersey to Cherbourg and between Guernsey to and Alderney to Southampton. The popularity of the services offered by Aurigny Air Services in the Channel Islands and an annual passenger figure of around 145,000 by that time demanded further expansion. Addition of another four Islanders to the fleet did not appear to be an economic option and it became evident that a higher capacity aircraft was needed to meet passenger demands. Once again Sir Derrick Bailey consulted with Desmond and John over the need for a 16 seat aircraft

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that still retained the rugged dependability and "no frills" of the Islander. The concept was developed for a three engine Islander, designated the BN-2A Mk.III, having a high degree of airframe and engine commonality with the standard BN-2 Islander type. It was soon realised, however, that the aircraft offered extremely good economy of operation in terms of horse power per passenger and also enjoyed around 80% commonality with the Islander airframe and engines. Sir Derrick Bailey had played a key role in the evolution of the “Mk.III Islander” concept and adopted the same “You build it I’ll buy it” approach as he had with the Islander 2 years earlier. It is a fact that without the interest and assistance of Aurigny Air Services, the BN-2A Mk.III variant of the Islander may never have been realised.

BN-2 Super “Stretched Islander” Built and Flown Following the entry of the Islander into production in 1967/68 it was inevitable that B-N would consider the prospects for airframe growth. This growth was seen in terms of payload rather than an increase in range as normal traffic growth would allow many Islander operators to consider introducing a larger aircraft on the same routes. The key design issue was how to stretch the Islander’s payload capability without detracting from its proven flying characteristics and excellent operating economy. B-N decided to evaluate the problem by incorporating a 30 inch fuselage stretch into the Islander prototype G-ATWU that had by late 1967 completed the test work needed to obtain certification for the production BN-2A Islander.

“Stretched” Islander Super, G-ATWU, at Bembridge 1968

However, information gained from test flights with G-ATWU, together with performance analysis in relation to certification requirements for single engine performance and control, had shown that the BN-2 Super would not be a viable approach without a major development programme to address single engine certification issues. Thus, further work on the BN-2 Super was therefore curtailed and the B-N design team now had to look in new directions to devise a more capable BN-2 Islander derivative. With BN-2 Islander production well underway, B-N, by this time, had built up a strong design team at Bembridge under the overall technical direction of John Britten. Notable amongst this team was Denis Berryman who had been recruited from F G Miles Ltd at Shoreham and had played a major part in getting the BN-2 design to the prototype stage.

New 17 Passenger Aircraft Configuration Evolved as BN-2A Mk.III BN had been looking at ways to increase the carrying capacity of the Islander but as a result of evaluation of the “stretched” Islander or BN-2 Super, G-ATWU. They concluded that a twin engined configuration was not necessarily the best way ahead. The basic “more than two but less than four” engine configuration concept for a larger transport aircraft as an Islander derivative was developed when John Britten and Desmond Norman were on a business trip to the United States in February 1970, and, as recounted by John Britten in his 1971 RAeS lecture, the "idea" for the new aircraft germinated in a Chicago motel one evening. A short while after their return, John Britten presented his usual back of an envelope type sketch to

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the B-N design team. Early discussions took place with principals of Aurigny Air Services, one of the first airlines to operate the Islander. Due to its early success using their Islanders, Aurigny Air Services now needed a higher capacity aircraft sharing the same rugged reliability and operating economy. From this B-N confirmed the commercial advantages of the proposed development and the distinct possibility of a launch order.

Islander G-ATWU adapted as BN-2A Mk.III “Proof of Concept” Prototype The BN-2A Mk.III Islander, later to be officially recognised as the Trislander, was designed in a few months by a close knit design team led by Denis Berryman, as Chief Engineer. This small and enthusiastic team wasted no time in translating ideas for the new aircraft into reality. Stories of design ideas and sketches discussed over a drink at the Propeller Inn, or “design office annex”, at Bembridge being incorporated into the Islander Mk.III prototype the next day are not too far from the truth.

Above: The front cover of the Islander Mk.III brochure gave a first sight of the new BN-2 variant and its novel engine configuration.

Below: Side views of a BN-2A Islander and the Islander Mk.III in the brochure showed the new type’s lengthened fuselage and tail mounted third engine.

The plan involved constructing a BN-2A Mk.III to prove the three-engined configuration concept. The "stretched" Islander development aircraft G-ATWU was available and could be used for this purpose. As the BN-2A Mk.III proof of concept demonstrator, G-ATWU was given an additional 90inch fuselage stretch together with local fuselage strengthening by means of thicker skin material and doubler plates. The most obvious change was a new tail assembly incorporating a third engine.

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This diagram from the B-N brochure identified key features and advantages of the Islander Mk.III.

Islander Mk. IIII Moves Ahead. The go ahead for cutting metal and modifying the Islander Super, G-ATWU, was given in early July 1970 with what seemed an impossible aim of getting the Islander Mk.III to the SBAC Farnborough Show in early September 1970. Most of the work was undertaken in B-N’s experimental hangar alongside the Propeller Inn at Bembridge with production work on the new tail section and engine installation being sub-contracted to the Miles company.

Islander Super G-ATWU being moved into B-N’s experimental hangar ready for modification

work to start c June 1970 (Jon Orme).

The following images show several stages of the work in constructing the Islander Mk.III.

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Above: The fuselage in the process of being made ready for insertion of the 90 inch fuselage extension and skinning over the original port side pilots’ door and insertion

of a new door on the starboard side (Taffy Lloyd Family).

Left: Overhead view of the work in progress

(Taffy Lloyd Family).

Production of the Islander Mk.III fin and engine mounting assembly is seen here in progress at the Miles Aviation and Transport Ltd. works at Ford, West Sussex. The company had just six weeks to complete the work from receipt of drawings (BNAPS Archive Collection).

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Right: Several engineers are seen here working on the Islander Mk.III fin mounted engine installation while other work is being done to the wing centre section

(Jon Orme).

Left: The Islander Mk.III is seen here nearing completion. In the centre is B-N design engineer Taffy Lloyd who looked after all the design modifications needed and kept copious notes of the

build process (Jon Orme).

Right: The Islander Mk.III is seen here in the final stages of build and preparation for a first flight. Work is still under way on the tail engine

installation (Jon Orme).

In what seemed an impossible timescale the Islander Mk.III G-ATWU was ready for the 1970 SBAC Farnborough Air Show. Trial “hops” were conducted by Desmond Norman on Monday 7 September and the first flight took place at 06.45 am on Friday 11 September. The story of the Islander Mk.III will be continued in the September 2020 issue of BNAPS News………………

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B-N Islander After Sales Service Desmond Norman Style A recent issue of a Canadian publication Air Canada News for retired Air Canada employees contained an account by Ken Collie in Newsletter#1421 of how a problem encountered in 1968 when operating an Islander in low temperature conditions was solved courtesy of Desmond Norman. Ken Collie recounted his own personal memory of the situation as follows:

The picture of the Islander in Newsletter #1419 brought back fond memories of my decade old life in Northern Manitoba. I was working for Lambair in Thompson, Manitoba when they imported what I believe to be the first Islander in Canada. BN-2 s/n 23, CF-XYK.

Lambair Islander, c/n 23, CF-XYK, (BNAPS archive collection).

My AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) licence was so new I was afraid to fold it for fear that the ink would blot. The more senior engineers mostly looked after the Bristol Freighter or DC-3's. We all shared the DHC-2's and 3's Aztecs, Cessna's, and whatever showed up. But I considered x-ray Yankee Kilo to be mine. It was a nice plane to work on except for using a step ladder for everything on the power plants. We did have a few new plane design problems, the most noticeable was that as the temperature dropped to Manitoba winter minus 40's complaints of sloppy controls began to come in. I soon ran out of adjustment on the control cables so we contacted the Britten Norman Company. Within a week Mr Norman was visiting us in Thompson. After a bit of discussion and examination he was scratching his head with no solution in mind. Finally, I asked him if there was a temperature compensator anywhere in the system. He asked, “why would you need a temperature compensator?” So, I explained that each control cable was approximately forty feet long (he corrected me to the fraction of an inch) and these steel cables with a very low coefficient of expansion ran through forty some feet of aluminium (aluminium in the UK) with a relatively high coefficient rate therefore the tension was fine in hot weather but not at all fine in cold extremes. After looking at a couple other plane’s compensators he sat down and started calculating and drawing. I realised his genius when in less than half an hour he called his partner in England, faxed a drawing and the notes and said “Your modification will be mailed to you within three or four days.” It was, it worked and he picked up the tab. The Islander proved to be a very nice plane to work on and to fly with - a little cold in the cabin in winter, but very reliable and quite efficient. Ken Collie.

B-N Islander c/n 23 B-N Islander c/n 23 spent all of its working life in Canada. Following service with Lambair it went to the Northwest Territories with Wolverine Air, Fort Simpson then to Simpson Air in July 1979 and in 1981 ownership changed to Aklavik Flying Service, Inuvik. Following conversion to a BN-2A-26 in August, 1983 by Len’s Flying Services Thompson, Manitoba it served with Skyward Aviation, Thompson, Manitoba, then moving to Little Red Air Service, Fort Vermillon, Alberta in April 1989. In April 1996 ownership changed to Waltair, Courtenay, British Columbia. In November 1999, it was exported to the USA and served with Island Air Service, Kodiak, Alaska as N2233Z. After over 30 years of service BN Islander c/n 23 was withdrawn from use in 2015 and was last reported 2016 as dismantled and in storage at Kodiak Airport, Alaska.

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The London to Victoria British Columbia Air Race 1971

Following on from the story of the success of the Islander in the 1969 London -Sydney Air race that was featured in the March 2020 issue of BNAPS News, in 1971 the Great London-Victoria British Columbia Air Race included a contingent of three Islanders and a Trislander as entrants. The race, sponsored by the Canadian government and the government of British Columbia, was one of the highlights of British Columbia's Centennial celebrations and attracted 79 entries: 59 competing aircraft, 54 official finishes and race awards of $170,000. The "First Overall" winners from West Germany, Joachim H. Blumschein and Fritz Kohlgruber, flying a Swearingen Merlin III received the highest award of $50,000. A report about the air race from a B-N perspective was included in the B-N company publication, Britten-Norman News issue number 12, Autumn 1971. The following article is based on this report:

Islanders Race Halfway Across the World – London to Victoria Air Race July 1971

Four Britten-Norman aircraft - three Islanders and a Trislander - battled against ice, fog headwinds and lighter and faster competitors in the 6,000-miles London-Victoria Air Race held to celebrate the centenary of British Columbia.

B-N Islander CF-AZM, c/n 114, Race No. B-N Islander G-AZAX, c/n 241, Race No. 79, crewed by Capt. J Wright and Jean- 54, crewed by Flt.Lt. Peter Evans, Flt.Lt. Pierre Germain (Trevor Davies). Terry Kingsley, and Arthur Gibson (Trevor Davies).

B-N Islander N50JA, c/n 256, Race No. 13, B-N Trislander G-AYZR, c/n 279, Race No. crewed by Irene Leverton and Marion 61, crewed by Hon. H. W. Astor, Sir Barnick (BNAPS Archive). William Dugdale, and Capt. Joe Blyth (Trevor Davies).

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The London to Victoria British Columbia Air Race 1971 (Continued)

Despite formidable odds, the Islander flown by BN's Western Canada distributor, Jim Wright, took first place and the $10,000 prize for multi-engine un-supercharged piston aircraft up to 12,500 lbs. In the overall results he and his co-pilot, Jean-Pierre Germain, were fourth, closely followed by the other two Islander crews - Americans Irene Leverton and Marion Barnick in the 11th place and Britons Flt.Lt. Peter Evans, Flt.Lt. Terry Kingsley, and Arthur Gibson 12th. Not one of the Britten-Norman aircraft gave the slightest trouble. For the Trislander it was a tremendous achievement to have finished 22nd overall and 15th in class out of the 59 aircraft which left Abingdon Air Base, just northwest of London, six days before. It had been not only the Trislander's first trans-Atlantic crossing but also its first long-distance flight. The crew were the Hon. H. W. Astor, Sir William Dugdale, and Joe Blyth, captain. With the Islanders so close together over Canada, it became a race-within-a-race. Arthur Gibson's account of the air race below is based on his in-flight notes as a crew member of B-N Islander, G-AZAX, Race No. 54.

Abingdon Air Base, July 1. After the usual last minute scramble we are airborne 08.15 hours local time, heavily loaded but happy to be on our way. With a reasonable meterological forecast for the UK, we and other British crews have opted for three stops in Britain where we can organise fast "touch-and-go" turnrounds if the weather is as poor as the forecast in Eastern Canada, anybody electing to make stops there could incur delays. Climbing out of the ground haze, we settle down at 1,500 ft and 135 knots.

Waddington Air Force Base 09.01 hours. We make our stop and find an RAF corporal waiting on the runway to stamp our race-card; it's great to have friends. Turnround takes only 3 minutes of the 60 minutes allowed, so we feel we've made 57 minutes already - which isn't bad, considering we’ve been flying only for 49 minutes.

Linton Air Base, 09.45 hours. We discover Peter Evans' wife, Jane, on the runway with sandwiches for us; it's great have relatives too! Even faster turnround – less than 2 minutes.

Lossiemouth Naval Air Base Scotland. We are away, with all tanks full, after only 34 minutes. Ahead lies the North Atlantic and aware that Lycoming engines have run a 5 hours apiece, we decide to play safe and use no more than 80 per cent power. Leaving Stornoway somewhere below the cloud carpet we descend to 4,500 ft over the open sea.

Reykjavik, Iceland, July 2 03.07 hours. We find the Trislander already fuelling flying direct from Abingdon. There is a forecast of a tailwind from here to Goose Bay, most unpredictable leg of the whole race. But we aren't away yet. On the runway ahead of us is an entrant with takeoff clearance but no apparent inclination to use it. Terry turns the air blue trying for permission to take off before him, but we lose another 10 minutes before we get airborne at 03.51. Goose Bay (Newfoundland) is 1,327 miles away, say 9 hours' flying. We set course above solid cloud. Ten minutes later we're no longer above cloud - we're in it and starting to get carburettor-icing, so we drop to 2,000 ft. Dead on track, up comes Greenland's southern extremity - high, rugged, desolate, mist- shrouded, hemmed with ice-floes, cold as a mother-in-law's kiss. It is 08.37 hrs, and we are running late. Met. was wrong: we have a nose-wind, not a tail- wind. Peter, captaining the Islander, throttles back to 75 per cent power to conserve fuel. 09.55 hrs. Back in cloud and starting to ice up, with white fringes sprouting on the landing-gear, tyres and air-intake. But the Lycomings don't miss a beat; sweet music to our ears.

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The London to Victoria British Columbia Air Race 1971 (Continued)

13.40 hrs. We have Goose but, because we have no transponder, they haven't got us. Goose gives us course changes so that they can identify us on radar, then hold us on a big pattern reaching nearly 40 miles out from the airfield. Nearly an hour of our precious time ticks away. Eventually, we get a talk-down, breaking cloud at 100 ft and landing in icy rain at 14.02 hrs.

Goose Bay, Newfoundland. Somebody shouts at us. It's an old friend, John Davis, ex- Red Pelicans, now with a Vulcan squadron. He thrusts food boxes into our hands before we take off at 14.45 hrs to climb through the murk to join airways at 8,000 ft. Opening the boxes, we feel we're suddenly flying first-class - chicken, ham, fresh salad, peaches and cream, and apple juice. Who said Luck was a Lady? At 15.50 hrs we burst into gin-clear weather, reckon we can see for 200 miles. What's more there are three airfields dead on track, all geared up to welcome our rivals. Now we know that our gamble in making stops in the UK hasn't given us any advantage, and we have lost time, too, through hold-ups at Reyjavik and Goose Bay. We sweep over the Quebec finishing line - a big bridge - at 19.12 hrs. We have been flying 24 hours.

Quebec, July 3. A rest day, and we get our first taste of the "public relations" side of this event. From here to Victoria, it's an almost-endless round of civic celebrations, official dinners and social occasions. The real test of crew stamina and aircraft reliability lies behind us, and it is already clear that, under the handicapping system, there aren't many people in the race with a chance of catching those who established a lead on the first leg over the Atlantic. Sunday, July 4, and airborne at 13.18 hrs. The wind is on the Islander's nose again. By keeping really low, we get maximum advantage from the ground effect, which reduced the wind speed.

Ottawa, July 4. Over the finishing line Jim Wright in Islander No. 79 sneaks past us, pipping us for 3rd place in our class on this leg. We are 4th in Islander No. 54 and Irene and Marion in Islander No. 13 are 5th. July 5 brings our longest overland leg, from Ottawa to Winnipeg. We take off at 11.52 hrs. If we keep low enough, we find, the nose wind is sometimes not only reduced but actually turned into a marginal tail wind! Intent on our inter-Islander race, we overtake No. 13, which started 5 minutes ahead of us. Jim Wright, taking off 5 minutes after us, has also lost ground. We land at Sudbury, our refuelling point, at 12.52 without hearing him call the tower on R/T.

Sudbury, July 5. What we want now is a really fast turnround, but Lady Luck is definitely not on our side. The bowser driver tries too hard to do a fast job. The hose is blown clean off the bowser before we get a drop of fuel in our tanks. The delay costs us 10 minutes and, sure enough, there is Islander No.79 taxying in as we taxi out. Level pegging again. Heavy rain hits us. If this kind of weather lasts, the few of us who are playing it low could gain a bit on those who go above the weather on airways. For 230 miles Pete skims Lake Superior, getting maximum "bite" from the cold air off the water for our faithful Lycomings.

Thunder Bay. We are in and out in 8 minutes. As we set our low-level course for Winnipeg, turbulence starts to bounce everything loose in the cabin. Terry's navigation in these conditions is fantastic, with little time to identify landmarks, I doubt if we are ever more than 400 yards off track, while other aircraft can be seen weaving back and forth picking up landmarks and correcting their courses.

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The London to Victoria British Columbia Air Race 1971 (Continued)

Crossing the finishing line at Winnipeg at 19.42, we know we have flown well up to our handicap. What's more, we have won this leg of our private Islander race.

Winnipeg, July 6. Across the prairies, without bad weather to help us, we are headed by both the other Islanders.

Regina. From here to Calgary, we just manage to overtake Irene Leverton in No. 13 as she throttles back to conserve fuel over the last few miles.

Calgary. The organisers announce that because of a poor Met. forecast the race is being postponed 24 hrs. It is only by accident we discover about 08.00 hrs next morning (July 7) that the organisers have changed their minds and are simply postponing the start from 04.00 to 11.00 hrs. We barely have time to catch the coach to the airport in time for take- off at 11.26. The Islander carries us steadily over the snow-covered. cloud-wrapped Rockies. Every now and again jagged peaks, veined with snow, pierce the cloud layers. Then we drop down through broken cloud into the long valleys reaching down towards the sea. Out over the coast, across the strip of sea to the unexpected expanse of Vancouver Island, we dip down below the 49th parallel to cross the last of our finishing points at 14.33 hrs on Wednesday, July 7.

At 14.45 hours we land at Victoria. The race is over. What remains most in our memories? The sheer size of Canada and the sense of its untapped riches. The gallantry of the pilots who flew the 6,000 miles in aircraft which could only be classed as veterans. The friendly spirit which characterised the relations between competitors from all over the world. But above all, for the three of us, the superb flying qualities of the Islander. It was disappointing not to bring back a prize ourselves but the Islander needed no prizes from this or any other event to prove to us that it is a winner in any company.

The B-N entrants made a celebratory formation flypast over Victoria, Vancouver Island at the end of the air race (BNAPS Archive).

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The London to Victoria British Columbia Air Race 1971 (Continued)

First ladies of the Air Race in Islander N50JA, Race No. 13

Had there been a ladies' prize in the London-Victoria Air Race, the Islander flown by two women aviators from San Jose, California, would have won it handsomely. If 'here had been an award for sheer good humour in the face of adversity, Irene Leverton and Marion Barnick would have clinched that too. Newspaper correspondents at the stops in Canada reported with amazement how cheerful and fresh the two women emerged from their Islander when tough male competitors were wilting with fatigue. Their islander carried the slogan, “Do you know the way to San Jose?" Well, they certainly knew the fast way to British Columbia, for they crossed the finish line 7th in class and 11th overall.

Irene Leverton and Marion Barnick with Islander Race No. 13 (B-N)

"It was the greatest experience of my flying career to date," said Irene Leverton afterwards. And that's saying something, for she's been flying more than 25 years. She has flown just about every type of operation and now runs her own pilot service at San Jose. She was US womens national pylon racing champion in 1964. Her co-pilot on the race, Marion Barnick, is also a veteran flyer and has her own private plane. They were fourth away from Abingdon and reached Iceland at 0100 hours. in a driving rainstorm. By flying low they nursed their fuel supplies and, across the Atlantic despite headwinds, landed at Quebec with 11/2 hours of fuel left. Across Canada they could open up the throttle, and the rivalry with the other two Islander competitors began. The others had the advantage of wingtip tanks, giving a higher ceiling as well as endurance. But the women beat their male rivals over Lake Superior, only to run into headwinds and watch with dismay as the other Islanders passed them. Over Manitoba they flew along a river 30ft above the water, soaring to 12,500 ft to clear the Rocky Mountains. During 44 hours of flying time they averaged 158 mph, 3 mph faster than their handicap speed. And their opinion of the Islander? "A great ship!" said Irene.

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The London to Victoria British Columbia Air Race 1971 Postal Covers Flown in B-N Islander Race No.54

BNAPS Supporter Norman Hobbs has kindly provided the following account of another aspect of the air race involving postal covers varied by one of the B-N Islanders:

One of the B-N aircraft participating in the 1971 London-Victoria Air race carried official Royal Aero Club postal covers from the start at RAF Abingdon. The aircraft that carried the covers was BN-2A-7 Islander c/n 241, G-AZAX, Race No, 54. Its maiden flight took place at Bembridge 13 November, 1970, with the Class “B” registration G-51-241. The registration G-AZAX was allocated on 25 June 1971 and four days later it left Bembridge en route to Ottowa based distributor Phaega Corporation, now wearing Race No. 54. On 1 July, 1971, the postal covers were specially franked by the British Forces Postal Service. The three man crew consisted of former Red Arrows pilot Flt. Lt. P. R. Evans, co- pilot Flt. Lt. J. T. Kingsley and aviation photographer Arthur Gibson. The covers listed the route taken during the air race and the total flying time of 56 hours and 40 minutes. After arrival at Victoria BC, the covers were franked on the reverse side: 9pm, 7 July, 1971. Some of the covers were signed by Peter Evans and a few ere authenticated by John Blake, Competitions Manager of the Royal Aero Club.

Later in July 1971, Phaega corporation registered Islander c/n 241 as CF-QPM to Air Halifax Ltd., based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was intended to be used for oil exploration support flights to Sable Island so wider, low pressure tyres were fitted to facilitate beach landings on the island.

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More Flown B-N Postal Covers and Postage Stamps

BNAPS Supporter Norman Hobbs has also provided an account of a further postal cover flight by Islander c/n 241, now registered as CF-QPM with Air Halifax and a postal cover flown by Air Mahe Islander c/n 287, VQ-SAC together with the story behind St Vincent postage stamp featuring Trislander VP-VAG.

Postal Cover Flown to Mark Bicentennial of Scottish Settlers arriving at Pictou, Nova Scotia

On 15 September, 1773, Scottish settlers arrived at Pictou, Nova Scotia, aboard the ship "Hector". They came as pioneers to make their living from the resources of the land and sea. To mark the bicentennial of this event Air Halifax organised a special flight in Islander CF-QPM, c/n 241, over Nova Scotia to Sable

Island a low-lying sandbank about 20 miles long 150 miles off the Nova Scotia coast. The moving sand associated with the island is a traditional hazard to shipping, and more than

220 known wrecks justify the expression

'graveyard of the Atlantic'. A number of postal

covers produced by the Islander Study group were flown in the Islander on 31 August 1973.

Mobil Oil Canada Ltd. started drilling on Sable Island in 1971 and soon discovered indications of oil and natural gas. Further discoveries added to the hopes that economically useful resources would be available. In December 1972 Air Halifax, operating out of Halifax International Airport, introduced the Islander for the Sable Island service. The aircraft had to land and take off from the sand beach of the island, a hazardous operation when the sand is soft and the weather bad (fog and gales are common). To make landing more secure Air Halifax made a modification to the regular main landing wheels of the "Islander" so that they could take outsize 850 x 6 tires at a low pressure of 15 psi.

In January 1977, Islander c/n 241, now registered as C-FQPM, was sold to Harbor Airlines, based in Oak Harbor, Washington as N67HA. (This registration had also been applied to BN-2A Islander c/n 39 when owned by Harbor Airlines between May 1973 and September 1976.)

In October 1981 Islander c/n 241 was sold to Slocum Air, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I n September 1984 ownership was transferred to MD Air Services, Nassau, Bahamas. Sable Island was named a migratory bird sanctuary in 1977 and established as a national park reserve in 2013. Special measures were put in place to protect Sable Island and its unique ecology and as the home of wild horses and the world’s largest colony of breeding grey seals. Today Sable Island can still be accessed by I slander courtesy of Sable Aviation’s B-N Islander C-GILS, c/n 416, that operates charter flights for naturalists, meteorologists and other visitors.

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Postal Cover Flown in Air Mahe Islander VQ-SAC to Celebrate International Women’s Year 1975

On 15 September, 1975, the Seychelles postal authorities released a set of eight stamps featuring prominent women to celebrate International Women’s Year. The one rupee stamp (Stanley Gibbons ref: SG347) depicted the famed aviator Amy Johnson. A number of first day covers were flown in Islander VQ-SAC, c/n 287, from Mahe to Praslin, a flight time of 13 minutes, and a few of the covers were signed by the Air Mahe pilot, Roy Marsh.

The maiden flight of BN-2A-3 Islander c/n 287, bearing class “B” registration G-51-287, took place at Bembridge on 17 July, 1971. In August 1971 registration 5Y-ANU was allocated as this Islander was to be delivered to the Kenya distributor CMC Aviation in Nairobi and on 4 September it departed from Bembridge on its delivery flight. In September 1972 ownership was transferred to Air Mahe Limited, based in Victoria, Seychelles, with a new registration of VQ-SAC. On 4 September 1976, while Islander VQ-SAC was climbing out after take-off from Grand Anse Airport, Praslin Island, both engines stopped simultaneously. The aircraft stalled and crashed past the runway end. All occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was seriously damaged and written off. The story of how the front fuselage section of Islander VQ-SAC ended up with BNAPS was included in the January 2020 issue of BNAPS News, when the fuselage section was brought over to the Brickfields workshop from storage on the mainland so that it could be worked on as part of the “Islander Experience” flight sim project.

th St Vincent Air Mail 50 Anniversary Stamps On 29 July, 1982, the St. Vincent post office issued as set of four aircraft stamps to commemorate th the 50 anniversary of Air Mail services in St. Vincent. The $2 stamp depicted Trislander VP-VAG, c/n 1037, (Stanley Gibbons ref: SG705). In addition to a first day cover, a postcard was printed by the House of Questa in London showing the Trislander stamp image designed by A D Theobald.

BN-2A Mk.III Trislander c/n 1037 was built in Gosselies, Belgium and made its maiden flight there on 5 October 1976, registered as G-BEDN. Six days later it was flown to Bembridge. In June 1979 it was allocated registration VP-VAG and on 3 July departed from Bembridge for its delivery flight to St. Vincent in the West Indies. The sale to St. Vincent and Grenadines Air Services had been negotiated via the Crown Agents and New York B-N distributor Jonas Aircraft. Subsequently re- registered as J8-VAG, when St. Vincent was issued with its own ICAO prefix, the Trislander was later sold to Inter Island Air Services in Antigua with the registration V2-LCI. In April, 1986, c/n 1037 was based in the French island of St. Barthelemy with new owners Air Saint Barth as F-OGOI. It was severely damaged in a storm in Guadeloupe in August 1990 and was last reported as stored in Antigua in 2002.

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Air Alderney – Moving Forward? In the past few weeks hopes have been raised that Air Alderney may soon be in a position to run air services between the Channel Islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey. Seeming to have found an obstacle at every turn, the company has kept trying to find a way of moving forward. In Alderney the Alderney Air links website has been set up and is running a petition to solicit support for improved air and sea links to the island. The present uncertainties are causing major difficulties for Alderney’s business community and for tourism. Meanwhile Air Alderney took delivery of a piston engined Islander, G-BLNI, c/n 2188. This aircraft was originally operated by FIGAS as VP-FBI but suffered significant damage in a forced landing in 2006. It was subsequently dismantled and transported back to the UK where it was rebuilt. Islander G-BLNI made an unexpected appearance at Solent airport on 8 July when it arrived from Cumbernauld and stopped overnight. On the next day it was flown by Capt. David Donovan and Capt. Danny Brem Wilson to Air Alderney’s base at Biggin Hill where Air Alderney titles were soon applied. The aircraft went on to carry out a number of crew training flights, visiting Exeter Airport, Headcorn Aerodrome, Guernsey, Jersey, Cherbourg and Alderney.

Air Alderney Islander G-BLNI arriving at Air Alderney Islander G-BLNI at Headcorn Solent Airport on 8 July having flown down Aerodrome now with Air Alderney titling. from Cumbernauld (John Oram). (Air Alderney) Air Alderney recently released an update statement on Facebook to clarify some aspects of its present intentions as misleading views had recently been expressed on the internet regarding lack of consultation regarding the company’s efforts to establish an air service and its involvement in the “Electric Islander” project.

“Air Alderney have been assisting in the ‘Electrification of Islander’ project since the end of last year and the information available across various media platforms is not completely in line. There have been many meetings between Cranfield University’s project team and our own at Air Alderney. Including, the provision by Air Alderney of one of our Islanders for initial survey works to be performed. With a 3D scan being successfully performed by the Cranfield University’s team with us at Biggin Hill in February. Air Alderney has also offered to supply a fully functioning and air worthy aircraft alongside a complete bare airframe for further development works. To our knowledge we are the only company to have assisted to such a degree to date. Even having assisted to this degree; we would not want anyone thinking we are saying or suggesting we are ‘project partners’. We have only assisted the project as any operator would and we look forward to assisting further if required. We wish the project every success and we look forward to the day we can utilizing the technology in our aircraft.”

It is hoped that somehow Air Alderney’s perseverance will be rewarded and is soon given the opportunity to provide air services for the Channel Islands community that best serves their needs. Meanwhile – watch this space………………………………

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Aer Arann Islands Under New Ownership After a long period of uncertainty for the air services operated by Aer Arann Islands it appears that there is now a brighter future for the operator as a result of a change of ownership and confirmation that the airport at Connemara will continue to be available. In January this year Aer Arann Islands was sold by outgoing independent senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh for an undisclosed amount to Aer Arann Islands BN Islanders have been a Aer Nasc Ltd led by Galway pilot familiar sight at Connemara Airport since 1970 (Aer Arann Islands) Jarlath Conneely.

Established in 1970 Aer Arann Islands have been servicing the Aran Islands bringing Islanders, tourists and cargo to and from all 3 Islands all year round. Flights run daily with a frequency of up to 25 flights per day during peak season

Aer Arann Islands currently operates three BN Islanders, EI-AYN, c/n 704, EI-BCE, c/n 519, and EI-CUW, c/n Aer Arann Islands new owners, Jarlath 2293. Conneely, right, and Peter McKenna (Aer Arann Islands). A recent visitor to Aer Arann Islands was Brian Wallace, son of the late great Capt. Bill Wallace. Bill Wallace was a pilot with Aer Arann in 1970 flying BN Islander EI-AUL, c/n 180, to Inishmore.

Left: Jarlath Conneely, centre with Brian Wallace, left, and Larry Byrne (Aer Arann Islands).

Right: Capt. Brian Wallace with BN Islander EI-AUL in 1970 (Aer Arann Islands). Aer Arann Islands transports visitors to another world as illustrated by these views of the main island Inishmore (left) and the ancient fortifications of Dun Chonchuir on Inishmaan.

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BN Historians

Over the years BN Historians (BNH) have produced several publications and continues to maintain the BN-2 database and an extensive BN-2 photo library. In 1999 BNH identified the need to rescue Islander G-AVCN from a dubious future in Puerto Rico. In conjunction with Peter Graham and his company Airstream International a rescue team was put together to repatriate 'CN. Allan and Andy and Peter were part of that team. BNH was instrumental in setting up the Britten-Norman Aircraft Preservation Society. Our gratitude and thanks go out to BNH for all their dedicated efforts over the past 50 years, and for their continuing support with contributions to BNAPS News and to the restoration of Islander G-AVCN, long may this continue.

Andy Clancey reflects on 50 years of BN Historians

It was in December 1969 that I found myself on the way to the Isle of Wight with a school chum and fellow enthusiast, Mike Drye. Mike had been to Bembridge the previous October and had met a guy by the name of Jack Griffin, who at that time was Deputy Flight Inspector at Britten-Norman who were producing the BN-2 aircraft. Jack was only too happy to show us around and readily agreed to pass us information on upcoming sales and production details. The day went very well culminating in us hitching a ride in c/n 70 G-AXDH with Doug Arnold, to Fairoaks via Portsmouth. At the end of the day I was hooked!

Three of BNH’s founders met up in 2006 at Bembridge. Left to right are Pete Hornfeck, Andy Clancey and Pete Bish (Allan Wright).

Later, whilst enjoying a curry and a few drinks with Mike and two other friends Peter Bish and Pete Hornfeck, discussions turned to the Islander and our recent trips to Bembridge and the information we were collating and how best to utilise it. I suggested the idea of forming a historical society to record all aspects of the Islander story. The others agreed, and in April 1970 BN Historians was officially launched. Initially we issued a Newsletter obtained by subscription.

It was always our aim to keep our relationship with Britten-Norman amicable, always seeking permission to use the information we were given in an appropriate manner. This led to us 23

making many more good contacts within the company especially in the marketing and publicity departments. It soon became apparent to us that the company lacked records of aircraft and owners once the aircraft left Bembridge. How could we help? The best way to resolve this, it seemed, was to make all the data available in a reference book format. Preparations progressed at a pace. We gathered input data from the company as well as enthusiasts. We basically used a format used by Gatwick Aviation Society in their earlier production listing, seeking their approval of our intentions. The next problem was finance and a print company. We managed to arrange a bank loan and Pete Bish was able to recommend a printer he had used for his booklet on hot air balloons. The printer did a wonderful job typesetting all our scribble and notes into a legible format. The result was “The First 500” published in November 1974.

At a subsequent meeting a very amusing incident occurred. We used to cut up each line of data from our Newsletter and book and paste it in a file to avoid duplication or deletion of any data. My future brother in law, John, came into the room looking very puzzled and asked, “what are you doing?” We very quickly gave up trying to explain to a novice who probably wasn’t interested, but very quickly our resident humourist, Pete Hornfeck came back with the quip “next week we make paper animals.” (From then on the master file has been known as the “Paper Animals File”.) By this time John was looking even more perplexed probably thinking what on earth have I done asking to marry into this family! The rest of us just disintegrated into hysterics.

“The First 500” sold over 2,000 copies with a large percentage going to Britten-Norman and its suppliers and operators. We decided that we needed to increase our presence in the enthusiast’s field, and to this end we began to attend aircraft enthusiast fairs, and became regulars for many years at Luton and Heathrow Fairs. We also attended the Air Britain Fly-in, and on a couple occasions the Royal International Air Tattoo, where we helped to promote the Islanders on display.

After completing publication of our second book “12 Years On” in 1977, and an update in 1979, my three colleagues felt that they needed to take a back seat from the day to day running of BNH. This left me to run the show on my own, which was too much with work commitments. Also, we had recently launched Islander Quarterly, an A5 Magazine which took up a lot of time. I did not want to see this fall at the first hurdle, so there was only one solution: I needed help, and quickly! I turned to Allan Wright, a regular contributor to BNH, who lived in Woking so very close to me in Staines - which was a bonus. After an initial meeting, I thought Allan would be a great asset and invited him to join me to which he readily accepted, and we still run BNH to this day. Allan and I worked hard to enhance the name of BNH as a reliable and authentic society. Islander Quarterly flourished, but alas darker times were ahead, printing costs were rising, and postal rates spiralled to where we had to make the painful decision to stop publication after some three years. However, this gave Allan and I more time to look forward and we concluded that it would be almost impossible to produce another book using our somewhat outdated methods. The only solution seemed to be to put all the data on a computer database.

This was going to be hard, as neither of us had more than basic computer skills! We took advice from fellow societies and enthusiasts and made the purchase of a computer. We were fortunate in the fact that Allan worked mainly in the evening, so he spent many daily hours inputting the data whilst making improvements to the newly created database. I will always be incredibly grateful for Allan’s efforts. Once this was completed it was an easier task to create a book. This led to “1000 UP” in January 1983 and another update in 1985.

During this period, we spent time organising our huge collection of photographs the details of which were added to the database. We set about trying to market the database. Our primary

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aim was to get Britten-Norman to use our database. Despite a demonstration which we felt went very well, no contract was forthcoming. It was some 6 months later that we concluded an agreement with B-N, which put BNH on a very good financial footing, whilst also increasing the feedback from operators.

Another activity undertaken was a joint venture with a society called Surrey Aero, who’s main activity was to fly school children on short air experience flights. They utilised an Islander which was highly suitable, giving good views from all seats. This activity usually lasted three or four days, flying from Fairoaks, which was ideal to cover the Surrey/North Hampshire area. The aim was to try to fly over the children’s schools. This was a very satisfying exercise and just seeing the faces of the excited children, many making their first flight, made it more than worthwhile. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to try my hand at air to air photography, which went well, the Islander making a very stable camera ship.

In 1996 we published our 4th book “Islander 96” while in 1999 we published the now obligatory update.

Left to right, BN Historians Allan Wright, Pete Bish and Andy Clancey at th Bembridge on 13 June 1990, the 25 anniversary of the prototype Islander’s maiden flight.

Well, I have rambled on enough just to say that I have made over 150 Islander/Trislander flights made countless friends and probably spent a small fortune, but I have no regrets. Our focus is now more concentrated on BNAPS which Allan and I together with Peter Graham were the founding trustees and three quarters of the recovery team, but that’s another story. BNH still carries on, albeit at a much slower pace.

Andy Clancey, Staines, July 2020

For more information about BN Historians (BNH) go to www.bnhistorians.co.uk Copies of the BN-2 production history are offered for sale together with B-N souvenirs, photos from the extensive BNH photo archive, books and 7 years of back issues of the quarterly magazine Islander News that ceased publication in March 2006.

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Thanks go to BN Historians and Allan Wright for providing an insight into an aspect of the UK’s aircraft registration system.

UK “CLASS “B” REGISTERED ISLANDERS - Allan Wright

United Kingdom “aircraft test serials” are used to externally identify aircraft flown within the United Kingdom without a full Certificate of Airworthiness. They can be used for testing experimental and prototype aircraft or modifications, pre-delivery flights for foreign customers and are more often referred to as "B" class markings. In the 1929, an initial set of markings was introduced, each company was allocated a letter to which would follow a number, sometimes with a hyphen or a gap between. For example, A was allocated to the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and A 1 was used in March 1930 on an Armstrong Whitworth Starling. During the 1940s the presentation was changed to look like a military serial for security reasons during the Second World War. For example, the prototype de Havilland Mosquito was allocated test markings E-0234. Following a change back to the original system in 1946 a new system was introduced on 1st January 1948. Each company was allocated a number which followed the British nationality marking G and then followed by an individual identity number. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft were allocated G-1. Companies could allocate and re-use the identities as they liked, some ran in sequence from 1 and others used the aircraft manufacturers serial number as part of the markings. Britten-Norman was allocated G-51 in 1967, and was used extensively until late in 1973, and occasionally since. Initially BN started allocating individual identity numbers from G-51-1, which continued to G-51-68 in early 1970. Then BN started using the aircraft construction number (c/n) as the individual identity from c/n 150.

G-51-2 (c/n 13) at Bembridge in 1968. [This is the earliest use of G-51 we have a photographic record of - does anyone have a shot of G-51-1?] C/n 13 became TR-LNG in Gabon and was lost in an accident in 1977. (BNH Collection)

G-51-165 at Kidlington in April 1971. This became G-AXYT, then moved to Australia as VH-RUT and is still in use in Queensland. (BNH Collection – RG Plant)

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This is G-51-261 incorrectly marked as G-51-216 seen at Kidlington in February 1971. It was corrected prior to returning to Bembridge and onward delivery to Zambian Flying Doctor Service as 9J-ACF. It was lost in an accident in March 1975. (BNH Collection)

The practice of using G-51 became less useful to BN from 1973 as aircraft were almost entirely constructed overseas. There has been the occasional use of G-51 at Bembridge for test flying purposes since 1973. The last known use was on c/n 2201 in 1988. G-51 marks were used on a handful of Bembridge built Trislanders.

BN-2A Mk.III Trislander G-51-245, seen here in the final stages of assembly at Bembridge in early 1971, was the production prototype and took up the registration G-AYTU. Exported to Gabon in March, 1972, it then served with Douglas Airways in Papua New Guinea as P2-DNN and reported as wfu in 1991. (BNAPS Archive)

BN-2A Mk.III Trislander G-51-299 was built at Bembridge and first flown on 16 August 1971. Later given the registration G-AZFG in October 1971, it was exported to the USA and delivered to Jonas Aircraft on 23 November 1971 and took up the registration N60JA. After some 9 years of

service in Canada as CF-CHZ it returned to the USA as N90541 in 1981 then on to Colombia as HK-2482. It was reported as derelict at Villaviciencio, Colombia in October 1994. (BNAPS Archive) 27

The last known use of Class B markings on an Islander are G-51-2201, seen at Bembridge in late 1991 after it was rebuilt. It was returned to the Royal Oman Police in December 1991 as A40-CT. It now flies in Florida as N770FK. (BNH Collection)

G-51 Class B markings were not the only ones applied to BN-2s. Miles Aviation used their G-4 markings on three Islanders they had for test flying purposes. G-4-8 was applied to c/n 8 from October 1967 to December 1967, G-4-9 was used on c/n 9 from October 1967 to November 1967, and G-4-10 was issued to c/n 140 from December 1969 to April 1970. Note that Islander c/n 140 is the only BN-2 to have 2 different sets of Class B markings, as prior to becoming G-4-10, the aircraft flew for the first time as G-51-140.

G-4-9 (c/n 9) seen at Ford in October 1971 awaiting ferry to Shoreham where it was re-registered CF-YZF. After some years in Canada (and frequent visits to the UK and Europe) it was sold in Fiji as DQ-FEO in March 1987. It was written off in May 1993. (BNH Collection © KJ Hearn & C Napper [seen in picture])

On four occasions the markings were applied to the aircraft without the initial hyphen: for example, G51-572 seen below.

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G51-572 was seen at a wet Bembridge in February 1978. UK marks G-BEIV had been cancelled and further test flying was required prior to delivery to Munz Northern Airlines as N28MN. It later moved to Belize as V3-HEP and was withdrawn from use in 2001. (BNH Collection)

Use of G-51 Marks by non-BN Aircraft

There has been a single use of BN’s G-51 markings on a non-BN aircraft. In 1993 Pilatus B-N appointed Aviatika as a new agency in Russia. PBN took delivery of an Aviatika 890S Microlight (c/n 890-69) as part of the deal to certificate in UK. The microlight was completed from a kit by PBN & Aviatika engineers at Bembridge and first flew 6.7.93 with John Ayres at controls. It carried marks G51-890-69. The dealership for BN was never consummated and no orders received. The Microlight was stored at Bembridge until 1997 or later and was registered in Ireland as EI-FEU on 10.4.15.

[Subsequent to writing this piece, it has now transpired there were two Aviatika 890S Microlights brought to Bembridge. One was flown by BN, the other remained boxed. The pair were sold to an owner in Ireland in late 1997 or early 1998. The airframe that was not built by BN was built and registered EI-FEP. The other was stored until 2015 and registered as EI-FEU.]

G51-890-69 the Aviatika microlight assembled and test flown by PBN in 1993. (BNH Collection – PJ Bish) 29

G-51 Marks Listing

All G-51 markings used on BN aircraft are listed below, starting with the identity number issued in sequence from G-51-1, followed by the c/n:

G-51-1 8 G-51-15 51 G-51-29 94 G-51-43 114 G-51-58 137 G-51-2 13 G-51-16 59 G-51-30 95 G-51-46 116 G-51-57 138 G-51-3 14 G-51-17 73 G-51-31 96 G-51-44 117 G-51-65 139 G-51-4 16 G-51-18 75 G-51-32 97 G-51-45 118 G-51-59 140 G-51-5 22 G-51-19 78 G-51-33 98 G-51-47 121 G-51-61 141 G-51-6 31 G-51-20 79 G-51-34 99 G-51-48 122 G-51-60 142 G-51-7 38 G-51-21 80 G-51-35 100 G-51-49 125 G-51-62 143 G-51-8 39 G-51-22 81 G-51-36 101 G-51-50 127 G-51-64 144 G-51-9 40 G-51-23 83 G-51-37 103 G-51-51 128 G-51-63 145 G-51-10 41 G-51-24 87 G-51-38 105 G-51-52 129 G-51-66 147 G-51-11 42 G-51-25 88 G-51-39 106 G-51-53 131 G-51-67 148 G-51-12 43 G-51-26 90 G-51-40 107 G-51-54 134 G-51-68 149 G-51-13 44 G-51-27 91 G-51-41 111 G-51-55 135 G-51-14 45 G-51-28 92 G-51-42 112 G-51-56 136

This was followed by using the c/n as the identity number. The following are known to have been used:

G-51-150 G-51-196 G-51-242 G-51-290 G-51-151 G-51-197 G-51-243 G-51-291 Note: The entries with an G-51-152 G-51-198 G-51-244 G-51-292 asterisk (*) were used twice G-51-153 G-51-199 G-51-245 G-51-293 on the aircraft. G-51-154 G-51-200 G-51-246 G-51-294 G-51-171 was used for the G-51-155 G-51-201 G-51-247 G-51-295 G-51-156 G-51-202 G-51-248 G-51-296 first flight in 1970 then G-51-157 G-51-203 G-51-249 G-51-297 became G-AYCW and N111VA. G-51-158 G-51-204 G-51-250 G-51-298 When N111VA was not G-51-159 G-51-205 G-51-251 G-51-299 delivered, the aircraft became G-51-160 G-51-206 G-51-252 G-51-300 G-51-161 G-51-207 G-51-253 G-51-301 G-51-171 again. G-51-162 G-51-208 G-51-254 G-51-302 G-51-269 was for the first G-51-163 G-51-209 G-51-255 G-51-304 flight in 1971, then again after G-51-164 G-51-210 G-51-256 G-51-305 c/n 269 was returned to BN as G-51-165 G-51-211 G-51-257 G-51-306 G-51-166 G-51-212 G-51-258 G-51-307 a trade-in by LFH in 1990. C/n G-51-167 G-51-213 G-51-259 G-51-308 269 had never carried a UK G-51-168 G-51-214 G-51-260 G-51-309 registration, although G-BRZH G-51-169 G-51-215 G-51-261 G-51-310 was allocated but not used. G-51-170 G-51-216 G-51-263 G-51-312 G-51-171* G-51-217 G-51-264 G-51-319 G-51-2201 was used on c/n G-51-172 G-51-218 G-51-265 G-51-320 2201 for few days in 1989 for G-51-173 G-51-219 G-51-266 G-51-325 further test flying after G-51-174 G-51-220 G-51-267 G-51-347 registration G-BOMC was G-51-175 G-51-221 G-51-268 G-51-349 G-51-176 G-51-222 G-51-269* G-51-369 cancelled, prior to delivery to G-51-177 G-51-223 G-51-270 G-51-377 the Royal Oman Police as G-51-178 G-51-224 G-51-271 G51-572 A40-CT. After an accident in G-51-179 G-51-225 G-51-272 G51-583 June 1990, the aircraft for G-51-180 G-51-226 G-51-273 G-51-616 G-51-181* G-51-227 G-51-274 G-51-2003 returned to BN for rebuilding. G-51-182 G-51-228 G-51-275 G51-2017 G-51-2201 was used a second G-51-183 G-51-229 G-51-276 G51-2115 time for test flying prior to G-51-184 G-51-230 G-51-277 G-51-2156 delivery back to Oman in G-51-185 G-51-231 G-51-278 G-51-2180 G-51-186 G-51-232 G-51-280 G-51- December 1991. G-51-187 G-51-233 G-51-281 2201* G-51-188 G-51-234 G-51-282 G-51-189 G-51-235 G-51-283 G-51-190 G-51-236 G-51-284 G-51-191 G-51-237 G-51-285 G-51-192 G-51-238 G-51-286 G-51-193 G-51-239 G-51-287 G-51-194 G-51-240 G-51-288 G-51-195 G-51-241 G-51-289 30

Hard Working B-N Aircraft Peter Smithson has drawn attention to three hard working Britten-Norman aircraft. Pictured below is N18WA c/n 517, a BN-2A-8 owned by Pennsylvania Aviation and operated by Wings Airways. Built in 1976. It operated for Wings Airways until 1992, when it was bought by Helenair and went off to St Lucia. This Islander still flies out in the Bahamas as C6-BGU with SeaAir Airways. In the background is BN-2A-26 N416WA c/n 2015. Built in 1979, it operated for Wing Airways for 10 years from 1981 to 1991, also ending up in the Bahamas as C6-FYP, after service in Belize. It was unfortunately damaged by fire at Nassau in 2017. Trislander N414WA c/n 1034, was built in 1976 and joined the Wings Airways fleet in 1982. It flew with them for 9 years before moving down to Venezuela as YV-872C. The Trislander still survives as YV1416 with Chapi Air.

Wings Airways Islanders N18WA and Wings Airways Trislander N414WA N416WA (Peter Smithson) (Peter Smithson)

Long Nose Islander Update There was an omission in the Long Nose Islander item in the May issue of BNAPS News. Details of the third long nose Islander are as follows: Islander c/n 392, G-BCJY was first flown on 28 August 1974 as a BN-2A-24. It was subsequently converted to a BN-2A-23 by removal of the tip tanks and reverting to a straight wing tip configuration.

Islander c/n 392 in UK markings as G-BCJY in 1974 (George Marsh Collection). It was delivered to Heli Orient, Singapore, in October 1974 where it took up the registration 9V-BGJ. It operated with Hanuman Air Charter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1975 and registered as 9M-AUD and returned to Heli Orient in June 1976. Later in April 1977 it was sold to Dirgantara Air Service, Jakarta, Indonesia and registered as PK-VIR. It was damaged beyond repair and written off in February 1987 after crashing into the Mentaya River in the southern part of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

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Lifting Islanders by Helicopter Occasionally Islanders have to be recovered from remote locations and the versatile capability of the helicopter has been the best way of solving the problem. Recent images posted by Jon Warner Cherrie on BNAPS Facebook page related to two incidents where Islander aircraft had to be recovered by helicopter. Carrying any load by helicopter raises aerodynamic issues that have to be understood and resolved. This is even more critical when carrying an aircraft. Wind conditions are critical and as the transit speed increases then the load will tend to fly and could act in such a way as to destabilise the helicopter with catastrophic results. One simple method believed to have been used by B-N field service engineers is to wrap twigs and bracken on to the leading edge of the wing to break up its aerodynamic shape to ensure much reduced lift from the wing. Aircraft lift and recovery operations by helicopter have to be evaluated to develop operating procedures and training exercises, as was the case for a trial carried out by the British Army using a Chinook helicopter and an Islander AL.1, as illustrated below.

In March, 1983, British Airways S.61N, Bristow S.61N, G-BDIJ from Sumburgh lifted G-BDKI recovered Islander G-AXXG, c/n 143. Loganair Islander G-BFCX,c/n 870, from It had force landed on a hill above Aviemore, Roussay in Orkney to Kirkwall Airport, Scotland, whilst on a ferry flight to Orkney. February 1980. (Gunnie Moburg) The pilot survived with a few cuts and bruises. (Ray Smith)

An RAF Chinook helicopter is seen here lifting an Army Air Corps Islander AL.1 during a trials exercise at Bembridge Airport in the early 1990s. It appears the trials were successful but it is not known whether the technique ever had to be used to recover any of the Army Air Corps Islanders in a real recovery situation. (BNAPS archive collection)

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From the BNAPS Archive –June 1991 Army Air Corps Islander AL.1 ZG993, c/n 2202, has now been retired and resides in the Army Flying Museum at Middle Wallop, Hampshire. Some 30 years ago ZG993 played a vital part in the Gulf War effort. Painted in a desert colour scheme the aircraft was nicknamed Pinky, it has a special place in the history of the Army Air Corps. The write up below about Pinky’s return home gives an insight into the its operations in the Gulf War and the affection for the aircraft held by Army Air Corps personnel.

Pinky Flies Home - Soldier Magazine 24 June 1991 by Gordon Skilling Pinky the Islander was amazingly perky when it returned to Middle Wallop after four months in the Gulf, though to chief technician SSgt Geordie Walker it was certainly not in the pink of condition. He and the other five REME aircraft technicians left the Gulf just a couple of hours after the Islander aircraft and Army Air Corps pilots Maj George Bacon and WO2 Chris Sherlock, but as the technicians were returning in a VC10 they got back a bit earlier. The pilots took a leisurely 29 flying hours spread over five days. SSgt Walker was on hand to marshal the aircraft home... then complain that it wasn't in the pristine condition his lads had left it in! On the way back to the United Kingdom the Islander had to negotiate some of the oil well fires so the pink had not so much gone pale but was extensively flecked by tarry soot. The team of six technicians and three pilots, commanded by Major Nick O'Brien, had to move quickly to the Gulf in January. The call came through over the Christmas period because of communications problems in the Gulf. Long, difficult journeys on lethal roads had claimed the lives of a number of Coalition Servicemen, and it was decided to use an aircraft to fly senior commanders between main headquarters. Gen Sir Peter de la Billiere, Commander British Forces Middle East, was a regular passenger. Within a week the Army's last three available fixed-wing pilots had been dug out of their IT, staff and training jobs in MoD, Germany and Yorkshire, the aircraft had been painted and christened Pinky by the ground crew, and the show was on the road. Its liaison role taking senior officers forward from Riyadh to divisional headquarters for face-to-face briefings meant the aircraft clocked up two years' flying in just under Maj George Bacon (right) and Warrant Officer four months. In that period it only missed Chris Sherlock with Pinky at Middle Wallop in June one flight, when an engine-change had to be 1991 (Soldier) done. Its combination of range, carrying capacity and economy was beyond the reach of any helicopter, and the relatively small investment in men and machine was repaid many times over, with the aircraft developing something of a personality in theatre. "We had to land in the desert on semi- prepared strips," said WO2 Sherlock. "They used a scraper to take the soft sand off which gave us a fairly firm surface, though we all managed to get bogged in once or twice and had to dig the front wheel out." Maj Bacon said: "Saudi must be one of the few countries in the world where you can take half a million men and lose them without any trouble at all. "Having flown two or three hundred miles over the desert, it was frequently very difficult to find a little dirt strip only 400 yards long among millions and millions of square miles." "The only problems we had were the conditions we were working in," said SSgt Walker."It was so hot that everything dried out. You couldn't touch a steering wheel, and if the pilots had to sit on the runway for five minutes, they were just dripping with sweat. You get dehydrated and very tired very quickly when you lose so much fluid." After leave, it will be back to the humdrum again: "I think going back to training pilots on helicopters might be a bit of an anti-climax," said WO2 Sherlock.

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New Trislander Painting by Toby Dixon

As the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Trislander gets nearer, one time Aurigny Air Services Trislander pilot, Toby Dixon, has once again put paint brush to canvas to create a painting of Loganair Trislander, G-BAXD, departing from the beach airstrip on Barra in the Outer Hebrides. The use of the beach meant that the times of flights are advertised as “subject to tides”. Loganair’s present day operations serve Barra using Twin Otters.

Prints of the painting are available direct from Toby Dixon, email address: [email protected]

New Build (Model) Trislanders Trislander G-JOEY Model by Mike Roach One of several lockdown projects undertaken by Christchurch, UK, based aircraft model maker, Mike Roach, was to make a radio controlled flying model of G-JOEY. “I settled on about 56" wingspan and a depron structure with three small electric motors, powered by a 3s 1300mAh battery. The build went quickly, which is more than can be said for the flight tests. It took three iterations to get the balance right, and three lots of repairs, but finally she balanced well and flew beautifully. The markings are vinyl, done professionally for me. The most non-scale feature is the undercarriage. Trislander G-JOEY model (Mike Roach) B-N were not kind to modellers with their stalky unbraced legs and twin wheels, so I used a torsion bar arrangement instead. Flying weight is just over a Kg and 5 minutes flight uses about 800 mA. Not perhaps the most attractive of aircraft, but full of character.”

Large Scale Trislander Model by Scott Taylor Aircraft model maker Scott Taylor recently posted some images on the BNAPS Facebook page of his large scale 10 foot wing span Trislander model. These were followed up by a video sequence of its maiden flight which went well, although Scott reported that there was too much nose up trim and he had a stiff breeze to contend with on the day of the flight.

Model under construction (Scott Taylor) First flight take-off (Scott Taylor) 34

New book “I Sell Aircraft - No ‘Plane’ Business “ Author - David M Dixon MBE FRAeS

“Are you a young man with the ability to sell aircraft?” - so said the advertisement in Flight International back on the 29 June 1972. David Dixon replied, joined the UK’s aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman three months later and the rest, as they say, is history. Starting out selling aircraft in Africa – David’s first deal was selling Trislanders to the Freetown based Sierra Leone Airways. Some four years and many aircraft later he was awarded an MBE (Member of Order of the British Empire) for his services to export all by the age of 24. Around the same time, he moved to Short Brothers plc in 1978 who promptly sent him back to Africa selling their brand of slightly larger bush and commuter aircraft, the Shorts Skyvan and Shorts SD330/360. When an opening occurred in 1980 to start work in Asia, he grabbed it taking him most crucially to China in the early days of that country’s economic emergence on to the world stage and subsequently moved to Hong Kong. Shorts were absorbed into Bombardier in 1989 for a combined tenure of nearly 34 years. That saw David become involved in the Challenger and the ‘disruptor’ Canadair Regional Jet programme. When de Havilland was brought under the Bombardier wing, he worked on the Dash 8 programme, across Asia. For the last 23 years he has focused on the sale of the ultimate corporate symbol, the ‘private jet’ in Asia. Starting on Challengers and the iconic Learjet, through the launch of the Global programme in the mid-90’s and has been witness to China’s embrace of business aviation and its growth in Asia. David left Bombardier and joined Jetcraft to set up Jetcraft Asia in 2012 to sell pre-owned aircraft. “Clearly, after 47 years of selling aircraft, I was not of a mind to change my career or direction. Nothing else entered my mind.” The idea behind the book was partly in response to the universal reaction David got when asked the inevitable question by any new acquaintances “So what do you do?” He would honestly reply, with aboard smile, ‘I sell aircraft’. Almost without exception, this led to some interesting and varied reactions. It is quite clear it was no ordinary job. His career selling aircraft has ranged from selling bush aircraft in Africa, to such exotic places as the Seychelles and Madagascar; humanitarian missions with the Flying Doctor in East Africa to regional airliners around in China, Thailand, the Philippines. Then moving to the iconic Learjet and the ultimate in ultra-long-range aircraft such the Bombardier Global in Asia and Australia. Along the way there were wars, coups, aircraft accidents, an assassination, companies going bankrupt, medical scares and economic collapse. A far cry from those early days in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. A journey that had taken him the equivalent of about 370 times around the world.

June 2020

Publisher: Corporate Jet Investor; Title: I Sell Aircraft; Release Date: 1 August, 2020; Price: £11.75; Language: English; Size: A5 5.83 x 8.27in; ISBN No: 9781716874604; Paperback: 308 pages. Available from: https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/david-dixon/i-sell-aircraft-no-plane- business/paperback/product-696866.html

New BNAPS Islander 50 Event Video Clip on Youtube Thanks go to BNAPS Supporter Clynt Perrot who has recently compiled a 4 minute video clip with the name I 50 showing the highlights of the June 2015 Island 50 celebrations at Bembridge Airport. The video clip is accessible on YouTube and is linked from the BNAPS Facebook page, thanks to Alan Wright. Use this link to view YouTube video clip: https://www.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEB&search_query=BN2+50th+1

Wight Aviation Museum For latest news of re-opening plans and more information take a look at the Wight Aviation Museum Facebook page or go to: www.wightaviationmuseum.org.uk

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Discount Sale of BNAPS Merchandise BNAPS Sales Catalogue As an exclusive offer to BNAPS Supporters BNAPS merchandise 2019/2020 will be available at a generous discount of 25%. The discount sale will help raise much needed funds to enable our project to

restore and preserve and to ensure safekeeping for our Islander G-AVCN as we move into the next phase where it is planned for it to go on public display on the Isle of Wight.

Please contact BNAPS Sales and an order form and catalogue will be sent by email or post.

UK postage and packing will be free of charge on orders of £10 and over, for overseas orders, postage and packing will be Please contact Rita charged at cost. Edgcumbe at BNAPS Sales to if you would like to receive the Later on BNAPS expects to be in a position to offer a range of latest BNAPS Sales Britten-Norman memorabilia, photographs, brochures etc. catalogue by email: These items will become available when a full inventory of the [email protected] BNAPS archive collection has been compiled and any surplus items, such as duplicates and non core collection items, will be up for disposal and offered for sale to raise funds.

BNAPS on the Internet - information and back issues of BNAPS News go to www.bnaps.org.uk Facebook - Look out for latest posts and news on the BNAPS Facebook page

More BNAPS Supporters Needed BNAPS BNAPS is a Registered Charity, If any BNAPS Supporters Club member knows of someone No. 1100735, set up to who would be interested in joining please pass on contact "preserve the history and details to our BNAPS Membership Secretary, Rita aircraft of Britten-Norman with Edgcumbe at [email protected] the support of members’ subscriptions, sponsorship and The principal aims of the BNAPS Supporters Club are: donations" “to assist BNAPS to preserve the history and aircraft of Britten-Norman through member donations and to provide BNAPS registered address is: assistance with the day-to-day operations of the charity” 7, William Close Anyone with an interest in local aviation heritage is FAREHAM, Hampshire, welcome. PO14 2PQ As a point of clarification, whilst BNAPS has contact with B-N Group from time to time, as a charitable trust BNAPS Trustees are Peter Graham, Bob Wilson, Guy Palmer and is an independent organisation. Bob Wealthy. Bob Wealthy is currently the Trust Chairman. Forthcoming BNAPS Events How to contact BNAPS: Email: Due to the present emergency situation restrictions there will be no workshop [email protected] Telephone: 01329 315561 open days or opportunities for group Post: visits until further notice. BNAPS (Dept NL) c/o 7, William Close, FAREHAM, If anyone needs more information about BNAPS and what Hampshire, is happening please do not hesitate to get in touch. PO14 2PQ.

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